Lesson Plan
NOAA

Build Your Own Ocean Ecosystem

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Hold the sea in the palm of your hand! Amateur oceanographers work together to create models of an ocean ecosystem in the sixth and final installment in a series. Raise awareness of global ocean health issues through guided research,...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Entering the Twilight Zone

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Imagine an ecosystem without any light or oxygen, where living things convert carbon dioxide into food. This ecosystem is thriving and might just be the largest ecosystem on our planet, yet we know very little about it. The lesson...
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

Ocean Creature Feature

For Students 6th - 12th
From coloring to hard protective shells, ocean creatures have adaptation features that help them survive. An eight-question online quiz highlights different ocean animals and their unique characteristics. The resource then offers pop-up...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Little Oyster: Ceramic Lesson

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Children will love researching and then creating a bottom dwelling mollusk of their own. They watch clips describing the ocean ecosystem and how oysters fit into their environment. Next, they research what oysters eat and how they look....
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Life is Weird!

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
A pool of brine in the deep sea can be up to four times as salty as the surrounding sea water. The deep sea ecosystem relies on chemosynthesis and the organisms that live there are often strange to us. The lesson focuses on researching...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Impacts to the Open Ocean

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate how human beings impact ocean ecosystems. In this ocean ecosystem lesson, students explore how marine debris affects marine life. Internet resources are provided.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecosystems Connect

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Learners investigate ecosystems near their school and across the world. They examine both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) elements of each. They recognize ecosystems from various continents around the globe. The use of computers...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life in the Crystal Palace

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Marine biologists research sea ice communities. Assign some groups to construct paper models of sea ice communities in winter, and some to construct models of them in summer. The lesson is simplistic, but the Internet resources provided...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Flow in Ecosystems

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students, in groups, create a slide show about the ecosystem and answer critical thinking questions based on their research.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oceanic Habitat Zones

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explore ocean habitats. In this oceanic environment instructional activity, students research various habitats in the ocean. Then, in a jigsaw format, middle schoolers teach others in the class about the habitat they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Friend, Foe, or . . .

For Teachers 5th - 6th
As a result of this lesson, upper elementary ocean explorers will be able to describe several interrelationships: symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. They learn that the biological richness is increased near seamounts and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Graphing Iron Data

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students apply a data set to create a graph show how iron ore impacts an ecosystem. They explain how the iron effects the distribution and abundance of phytoplankton in coastal ecosystems using spreadsheet software.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Survival in the Open Ocean

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students examine how scientists conduct pelagic research and identify pelagic predators as they study the open-ocean ecosystem. They discuss and conduct small group research of this environment in order to produce a presentation.
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Stressed Out!

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Are our oceans really suffering due to the choices humans make? The sixth and final installment in the volume of activities challenges research groups to tackle one of six major topics that impact ocean health. After getting to the...
Lesson Plan
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Bonneville

The Problem of Plastic Trash Islands

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Trash collection can be a hassle, especially out in the ocean. The second of four parts in the Adrift in a Sea of Plastic unit has pupils research plastic trash islands in marine ecosystems. They investigate why they occur and potential...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bering Sea Buffet - A Foodweb Activity

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Life in the Bering Sea, food webs, and the ocean ecosystem are introduced with a map activity. The lesson starts as kids explore maps and images of the Bering Sea, then it kicks into high gear as they start to discuss the types of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Imagine a Kelp Forest

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Young scholars write a story based on their research of the kelp forest. In this ecosystem lesson, students view a video and research the kelp forest ecosystem. They write a short story imagining the discovery of a new species in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Design a Reef!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars explore coral reef ecosystems.  In this ecosystems science instructional activity, students research coral reef ecosystems to determine the major functions the participating organisms must perform.  Young...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pollution Solutions

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the role of chemicals in the pollution and destruction of ecosystems. They research factors that affect ecosystems and the methods being employed to counter them. In addition, they choose one water ecosystem that has...
Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

Highways and Change

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What is the cost of change? Roberto Guerra's photo essay "La Carretera: Life and Change Along Peru's Interoceanic Highway" asks viewers to consider the impacts of the 1,600 mile-long highway through Peru and Brazil that connects Pacific...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecosystem Interdependence

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars outline a scenario demonstrating ecosystem interdependence. They explain the effects of this change according to the food web. They give a positive example such as increased rain and have the students call out answers to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Indian Ocean Explored

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students consider the information presented in the WNET videotape of India: Land of the Tiger/Unknown Seas (Episode 3).  In this biology lesson, students view the video and engage in a discussion about the questions posed in the video.
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Succession

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The final instructional activity in a two-part series prompts scholars to create newspaper articles and succession events. Applying their knowledge of the ecosystem and the past examples of succession, they predict what will happen...
Activity
University of Georgia

Land Biomes Project

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
Challenge scholars to research a biome and create a presentation for the producers of Survivor to choose their ecosystem for the next season's show. The materials include outlines, worksheets, and grading rubrics for individuals as well...

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